Cowboys already have Ray Rice (it’s not Greg Hardy)

The dream of a Dallas Cowboys press conference with Jerry Jones in the middle flanked by Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy sadly does not look like it will happen. But change Peterson with Ray Rice and the dream is still a possibility.

The Cowboys defense has one Pro Bowler with a domestic violence charge on his record, now the offense needs one, too. Ray Rice needs a job. Think of the Cowboys’ pink jersey possibilities. God knows the Susan G. Komen foundation would take the money. It accepted cash from the Manny Pacquiao/Floyd Mayweather weigh-in (sorry, different rant).

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As absurd as it sounds the Cowboys still could take on two of the highest profile cases of domestic violence last season; Rice has all of the necessary paperwork filled out to make this happen. He is a free agent. He would be as cheap as a veteran running back could be. The Cowboys are not done kicking the tires looking at his position; they brought in veteran spares Felix Jones and Ben Tate for a workout on Thursday.

The Ravens cut Rice last September when news broke that he violently struck his fiance in a hotel elevator. Both he and his wife held a press conference where he apologized. The team did not want to release him, but it bowed to public sentiment to cut Rice.

Unlike Hardy, Rice actually did all of the necessary work as ordered after his domestic violence case went viral, and changed the NFL last year. His assault charge against his then fiance, whom he has since married, was dismissed after he completed all of the programs assigned to him by the court. His appeal of the NFL’s indefinite suspension was successful, meaning he is available to play immediately.

Rice went through it. Hardy wrote a check.

As ugly as Rice’s incident was, the giant red flag is not the DM case but his age, and his position.

Even though he missed all of last season, he is still 28 with a lot of mileage already. He has rushed for more than 1,000 yards four times in his career, is a competent blocker, and pass catcher. Even before Rice missed all of last season, his numbers had begun to drop.

The Cowboys already have their older, veteran free agent running back in the fold. Darren McFadden is 27, but never played on the quality teams such as Rice. The on-the-field difference is Rice was durable whereas McFadden was injury prone.

That the Cowboys looked at Jones and Tate means they are not done considering other running backs, and despite Rice’s baggage it is plausible he could land here.

An Adrian Peterson-Jerry Jones-Greg Hardy press conference is not going to happen. Neither should a Ray Rice-Jerry Jones-Greg Hardy presser. The Cowboys already have Rice.